


Idolatry

by faithtastic



Category: Mean Girls (2004)
Genre: F/F, Post-Canon, Post-Movie(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-29
Updated: 2012-07-29
Packaged: 2017-11-11 00:39:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/472510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faithtastic/pseuds/faithtastic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gretchen doesn't just want to be Regina.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Idolatry

Nobody saw Regina George that summer. Rumour had it that, after the steel brace came off, the post-traumatic stress counsellor her mother sent her to recommended Regina channel her anger into contact sports. The last time Gretchen spoke to Karen, bumping into her at the mall where she was conducting a weather forecast ("I think it's gonna rain in the next five minutes," Karen had said sagely, grasping at her left breast), Karen told her Regina was at some sports camp just outside Seattle, at least that's what Stacey Winters had said.

"Oh," Gretchen had replied a little sadly, because she felt that she was at least partially responsible for Regina's demise. If she'd only been a better friend, if only she'd hadn't felt so jealous about being usurped as Regina's confidante by Cady, maybe Regina would still be here, their proud and glamorous leader.

Then again she was sort of glad to be free of Regina and her rules. Because she could style her hair how she liked, could wear pink any day of the week and, most happily of all, she could date whomever she pleased.

But she missed Regina. Sometimes, when it was just the two of them, Regina could be really nice and amazingly generous. Nobody else got to see that side of her and Gretchen always felt honoured, even though she knew that Regina was only rewarding her for keeping her secrets. It felt genuine, even if it wasn't.

She'd visited Regina's home a couple of times before the end of the school year, while Regina was still in that ugly brace. Gretchen had bought these special candies that had almost zero calories and some flowers. Regina never said much – not even thank you – because she was in a lot of pain and Gretchen could tell Regina was trying not cry and that made Gretchen feel really helpless and she couldn't think of a single comforting thing to say except, "Wow, Regina, you are so slim now."

"Yeah, being hit by a bus will do that for a girl," Regina had sneered, causing Gretchen to flinch and to realise that spending so much time with Karen over the years had increased her capacity to say moronic things.

After that, Gretchen found a multitude of excuses not to visit.

The cool Asian girls she befriended after Spring Fling weren't all that different to Regina. They were aloof and uber fashionable so it was comforting to be in their orbit because it was familiar. Also educational – she never knew she had such an aptitude for languages.

The summer passed in a blur of parties and strutting around the mall. She saw Karen less and less - Karen got her own show on cable, based soley around her psychic nipples. Then, suddenly, it was the first day back at school as a senior. This was supposed to be accompanied by a new-found sense of maturity but Gretchen felt just the same.

It was in the cafeteria, two weeks into the semester, while sitting with Trang Pak and Sun Jin Dinh, that Gretchen saw Regina carrying her lunch tray and taking an empty seat beside the Varsity Lacrosse jocks. Gretchen blinked. To see someone of Regina's stature sitting with and talking to female jocks, well, it was like reality was skewed. Not only that, she was wearing jeans and it wasn't even Friday. Still, Gretchen found herself staring – not just because of the numerous faux pas – but because she couldn't look away from this girl who was practically now a stranger.

Even with her hair in a loose ponytail, wearing faded blue jeans and a plain black t-shirt, Regina still looked prettier than any other girl in the cafeteria. Gretchen felt a wriggle of jealousy in her stomach. She'd always felt inferior to Regina, always envied Regina's corn-fed, blue-eyed, all-American beauty pageant good-looks. Gretchen knew she certainly wasn't ugly but she'd often felt that way beside Regina, who always eclipsed everyone in the room.

When she'd first heard about the bus hitting Regina, for a brief moment Gretchen had wished for disfigurement or at the very least noticeable scarring because it would take that perfect shine off Regina. Then, in a flood of guilt, she'd been relieved to see that Regina's beautiful face was very much intact.

As if sensing the scrutiny, Regina looked over her shoulder, her eyes meeting Gretchen's. A small, hesitant smile curved Regina's lips and Gretchen pretended to be suddenly fascinated by her lunch.

It was after English class, last period, while Gretchen was standing beside her locker with Trang Pak, that Regina approached her. "Hi," Regina said, an unusual hint of nerves in her voice. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Before Gretchen had even opened her mouth to respond, Trang Pak gave a disdainful look, flicked her long hair, and flounced off.

Gretchen blinked, hugging a textbook to her chest. "Okay." Even dethroned as Regina was, Gretchen was still sort of in awe of her.

"Look, we've known each other since elementary and I..." Regina toed the ground and avoided Gretchen's eyes, "I know we don't move in the same circles anymore but could we still be friends?"

Regina looked up then, biting her bottom lip, the late afternoon sunlight catching her hair and making it glow. The combined effect stopped Gretchen's heart for a split-second. It was like for a single moment time stood still only to begin again in a rush.

When Gretchen didn't answer, Regina shook her head. "I know, it was a stupid idea. I mean, God, why would you want anything to do with me now? It'd be social suicide."

Gretched wanted to say, _no, no, no, it's the opposite of stupid_. More than that, certain things were starting to make sense to her, as if the pieces of a puzzle had been shuffled and she could now clearly see what was hidden. But her mouth, flailing for words, couldn't keep up with the workings of her brain and Regina was starting to walk away.

"Wait!" Gretchen blurted finally. Regina stopped and turned back to look at her, a defeated expression on her face. "I'm sorry. Like, for everything." She felt her lip tremble and her eyes began to mist and the next thing she knew Regina's arms were around her and she was snivelling into Regina's shirt. Her fingers clung to Regina's shoulders and the solitary thought that went through her head was: _ooh... muscular_. It made her heart clutch a little tighter and it also made her ashamed because she knew what the old Regina would've said about that. "You're the best friend I ever had," Gretchen sobbed, her words muffled by cloth, "and I'm so sorry."

She felt cocooned in the enclosed space of Regina's arms and was bereft when Regina let go and stepped back. "It's okay," Regina said, "really." She glanced at her watch. "I've got practice right now but do you want to come over tonight? We could watch a movie or something?"

"Yes," Gretchen replied immediately, although she was supposed to be going to Trang Pak's tonight. Whatever, she was the Meryl Streep of feigning illness. As she watched Regina walk away - noticing, for the first time, in a non-platonic way how nice Regina's ass looked in jeans – she felt this little flutter in her stomach. Oh, God, she hoped it wasn't obvious.

She didn't spend the rest of the afternoon thinking about Regina getting flushed and sweaty on the Lacrosse field, or replaying their conversation in her head, or taking painstaking care over her hair and selecting a cute outfit. Okay, so maybe just a little.

  
**  


She arrived at 7pm exactly, passing Mr & Mrs George on their way out to a corporate dinner. Mrs George seemed tipsy already, which was kind of sad and predictable.

Regina's bedroom was exactly how she remembered it, less a few photos of Aaron Samuels. The smile Regina gave Gretchen as she entered the room made her feel like she was floating on air. "Hi," she said, hoping Regina didn't hear the quiver in her voice. "Your mom said to come on up."

"Hi. So, you want to watch the movie here or downstairs?"

Gretchen shrugged. "Here's fine."

"'Kay. I'll get the snacks. Make yourself comfortable."

In Regina's brief absence, Gretchen kicked off her shoes and sat on the bed, propped against the pillows. When Regina returned bearing chips, cookies and soda, she sat on the bed beside Gretchen.

"So what movie did you rent?" Gretchen asked, feeling nervous with the other girl sitting so close. She could smell Regina's shampoo and the laundry fresh scent of her clothes.

"The Ring. Susan Croft told me it's really scary."

Gretchen made a worried face. "Regina, you know I hate horror movies."

"Don't worry, I'll protect you," Regina laughed.

"Okay," Gretchen said in a quiet voice, taking a surreptitious glance at Regina's perfect profile.

It wasn't long into the movie before Gretchen started hiding behind, first, her hands, then behind a pillow. Finally, she abandoned the pillow and buried her face in Regina's shoulder. "I can't watch this," Gretchen squeaked.

"It's only a movie."

"I know but she's coming out of the TV! That's so freaky."

Regina giggled. "I've missed you."

Pausing, her forehead pressing for a long moment against the warmth of Regina's shoulder, Gretchen pulled back slightly. Regina was looking at her affectionately and her lips were slightly parted and Gretchen knew that if she angled her head a little they would almost be kissing. That was the single most thrilling thought she'd ever had.

"You know, during the summer I went to see this therapist," Regina said softly, "and he told me about this thing called displacement. I think the reason I kept calling Janis Ian a dyke was because – "

"Regina, I understand," Gretchen interrupted, seized by bravery or insanity or both. "See, I thought I wanted to be more like you but that isn't it because you're different now and I guess I'm different too. I think that actually I just... want you."

Regina looked at her, astonished, the movie totally forgotten.

"So you're...?"

"Sort of, a little bit, completely into you. And I really don't care that you're a jock or a social outcast or whatever. I just really, really want to be your girlfriend."

Regina brought her fingers to Gretchen's chin and leaned down, kissing her sweetly and gently. Those fingers moved, tracing a path down Gretchen's neck, causing her to shiver and huddle closer to Regina's warm body.

"I wish I'd been nicer to you," Regina murmured between kisses.

Gretchen couldn't help thinking that if they'd just done this sooner it might've saved everyone a lot of trouble and hurt feelings. "So make it up to me."

And Regina did.


End file.
